Dr Pugh can't help but revel in the whole mess that his rivals have created, he said: "It can't be much fun in the Southport Conservative party with this much unhappiness, personal bitterness and rampant intolerance.

"They are conducting their own bizarre civil war."

Hard to disagree really. Cameron has tried to paint the Tories as a changed party, but voters in this constituency will wonder if its the same old party arguing among itself yet again.

All parties have internal arguments and feuds from time to time, but rarely does it break out into the open like this.

Questions will also be asked about the judgement of Ken Porter, the husband of Conservative parliamentary candidate Brenda Porter, for writing the letter which has now been so spectacularly leaked.